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Aether
Aether is an action-platforming game submitted by Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel on September 8, 2008. It tells the story of a boy and a creature that visit five planets. Each of the planets symbolizes a human emotion, such as loneliness or fear of rejection, and has characters who provide in-game dialogue to set the mood. Plot Aether's plot describes a journey through a child's emotions and anxieties. After befriending the monster, the boy leaves Earth on the creature's back to look for life elsewhere in the galaxy with hopes to find someone to relate to. The hollow planet Gravida's surface is patrolled by a creature that complains of stomach pains. This larger creature is followed by several tiny creatures, some of which ride on its back. One of these smaller inhabitants has fallen into the core of Gravida. Though it is isolated and lonely, the creature consoles itself that nobody can harm it. The planet Malaisus is composed of water, with a monster identical to the player's swimming around with a shoal of fish. The monster tells the player to leave. Planet Bibulon has two faces on opposite sides, one angry and one happy. A two-faced creature travels across the surface; one is happy and the other morose. Bibulon is orbited by four moons, each of which has differing opinions on an unnamed man or boy. When players find the planet Debasa, they discover that it is surrounded by a green fog. Gravity is very intense within the fog. Four orbiting satellites produce the fog, which has trapped two boys. After restoring color to all the surrounding planets, the game is completed by returning to Earth. The Earth has shrunk until it is only slightly larger than the monster; it is destroyed when the boy and his monster land. Both fly upwards and land on the moon, where the boy is free to craft a future of his choosing. Gameplay The gameplay is based around using the creature's long tongue to swing from planet to planet using orbiting clouds, moons, and asteroids. Different celestial bodies each have their own unique gravitational pull. It is reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy's gravity mechanics and the Spiderman games' swinging. However, the design is actually based around environmental puzzles on each planet. Players discover new planets by going towards color-coded indicators, which only appear in space. The creature uses his tongue to swing on rocks, clouds, and asteroids. Solving puzzles brings color back to planets. Each time a planet is solved, Earth gets smaller and smaller. When the player lands on Earth for the last time, it shatters, and the player lands on the moon. Presentation Aether uses washed-out pastel colors and a cartoony style. Planets gain color after their puzzles are solved. The soundtrack consists of a single piano and percussion piece. Reception As of Dec 2009, Aether has a score of 4.38/5 and an average review of 9.2. The game won daily second place and was nominated for the 2008 Tank Awards. The game is also featured in Flash Portal History. Newgrounds Links Play the game at http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/459147 Portal History 2008 Category:Flash games Category:Puzzle Platformers Category:Art Games Category:Platformers